Improvement in ordnance



J. c. c. HOLENSHADE.

Bfeech-Loading Ordnance. No. 38 110 Patented Apr. 7, 1863.

% Inventm 'WHIIGSSGSZ UNITED STATES PATENT rricn.

IMPROVEMENT IN ORDNANCE.

Specification forming part of Letters Paten No. 38.1). dated April 7, 1863.

I0 ctZl whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES C. O. HOLEN- SHADE, of Cincinnati, Ohio, have made a new and useful Improvement in Ordnance; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part hereof, in which- Figure l is a ground plan or top View of the gun. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section through the axis of the gun. Fig. 3 is a ground plan of the breech-piece removed, and Fig. 4 is a side view of the gun with its trunnions applied as it is mounted.

Like letters in the different figures denote the same parts.

The nature of my invention consists in constructing the tapering breeclrpiece f, for loading at the breech, with helical bearing plates or surfaces at each end of the breech-piece, to bear against corresponding helical faces 011 the sides of the chamber or breech-cylinder of the gun,which receives this coned or faucet breechpiece, so that in turning the breech-piece to receive the charge the helical faces shall draw or force itlaterally to relieve the adhesion from effects of heat and the residuum of the burned powder, and in turning it to bring the charge opposite the bore of the barrel of the gun shall draw or force the breech-piece back again laterally and tighten it to prevent the escape of the gas in firing.

My invention is an improvement upon the gun patented November 19, 1861, by Sherwin McFarland and Shieme. The barrel of the gun a may be rifled or smooth-bored, and is beveled at the joint, or enlarged in the bore to compensate for any slight variation in the chamber a of the breech-piece. The breechpiece, being coned or tapered, will tighten up when set in and loosen when drawn out of the socket or cascabel w. To accomplish this I construct and apply to the breech-piece f two helical-faced plates, h, which bear against corresponding faces on the sides of the cascabel, and are provided with stop-faces n, so as to move a quarter of a circle and stop against similar faces when the chamber 0 is opposite the bore a, and when the chamber 0 is opposite the loading-hole ginthe top of the breechcylinder. The arm j gives leverage to open and close the breech-piece, and when opening it the helical faces draw out and relieve the coned facing of the breech-piece, and in closing it thesefaces tighten it up to be fired, and in this manner all the difliculty of binding at the breech from expansion by heat and from the dirt or residuum is obviated. To secrete the dirt also I out two annular grooves, '5 2', around the breech-piece, one each side of the chamber 0. In the cascabel w, opposite the vent e of the breech-piece,. I screw a primerholder or bush, (1, so that it can be removed and disable the gun; and it being combined with its vent opposite the vent e of the breechpiece, the back part of the breech-piece protects it from being burned or blown out, although it is easily unscrewed and removed.

The trunnions b b of the gun are placed with their center seven inches forward of the center of the axle 7a, and in combination with the limber p in the rear of the axle. The adhesion of the wheels by gravitation is therefore on the line (1 q vertically at the point an. The resistance of the-recoil at m is on the line Z) Z m, and the resistance at n of the limber bearing is on the line b 0 a. The mean line of resistance of the recoil is b t at, delivering the stress downward at m, which point of stress is mid way between the point a, and the vertical line 8 s from the trunnion through the center of the axle k. This arrangement of the points of bearing of the trunnions, wheels, and limber delivers the recoil downward, greatly increases the adhesion of the carriage, and prevents the recoil motion, while placing the trunnions farther backs tends to throw up the wheels and causes recoil motion, which has been demonstrated by experiment.

r r r is the ground-line.

The helical faces maybe made in several sections or pieces within the circle, and be made of pieces of steel set into the bronze or gunmetal plates and cylinder. Holes are made through the top of the breech-cylinder, and one or more channels cut in its inner surface to distribute oil to lubricate the breech-piece.

The location of the trunnions seven inches behind the wheel-axle, as described, has been found to prevent the recoil so efiectually that the gun may be limbered up and fired while in motion or on a retreat. In locating the trunnions the mean line b t as should pass through the center is of the wheel'axle, and its plates at the sides of the breech-cylinder have greater power, wear, and endurance, and keep clean, operating perfectly, as proved by experiment.

ground-point 00 be midway between the vertical trunnion-line s s and the ground-point n of the limber. v

The helical faces may be surrounded by a flange to exclude any foreign matter and give a finish in appearance.

I do not claim a screw on the shaft of a fancet-breech, nor a groove in the surface of the breech with a helical face and a pin to tighten and release the breech. They are inadequate to the purpose and clog up with dirt. My 

